trademark

What these 6 businesses did right about Intellectual Property (Part 2)

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

This is a guest post by Esther Wee.

Find out what three other businesses did right about IP in Part 1.

4. NASA — Licensing of patented technologies to Start Ups.

The whole idea of the patent system is aimed at encouraging innovation, and NASA understands this very well.

Last year, NASA opened up an array of their patented technology to be licensed out on a non-exclusive basis to start ups with the aim of encouraging the growth of high-tech businesses and advancing American innovation.

David Miller, NASA’s chief technologist, said — “The Startup NASA initiative leverages the results of our cutting-edge research and development so entrepreneurs can take that research — and some risks — to create new products and new services.”

Continue reading →

What these 6 businesses did right about Intellectual Property (Part 1)

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

TML feature image

This is a guest post by Esther Wee.

1. Daikin vs Panasonic — Matching the patent portfolio to the consumer needs.

We have heard countless times that patent protection can be costly. Indeed, to reap the rewards and return of investment from your patented product, you need to ensure that your patent has actual commercial value. In other words, you must study whether there is a consumer market need and demand for such a technology.

Daikin and Panasonic are two Japanese companies that have shown increasing domestic market share of air conditioner for home use in recent years, all because they know how to match their filing of patents to what their consumers really want.

A comparative study shows that each company has exclusivity over one another on different technical aspects: Daikin has technical advantages of almost all the humidification function and some specific filter cleaning functions whilst Panasonic has technical advantages of almost all the filter cleaning function and some humidification functions.

Continue reading →

Trans-Pacific Partnership and Intellectual Property: 4 Things You Should Know

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

TPP and IP

This is a guest post by Chua Sher Hann.

With our social media feed flooded with so much anti Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) literature attacking this contentious trade agreement in recent months, it can be extremely tempting to jump onto the anti-TPP bandwagon. The most highly contested component of the TPP is no doubt its intellectual property chapter. But how will this highly debated chapter affect the intellectual property protection regime in Malaysia?

Before we proceed, it should be highlighted that while some legislative changes are anticipated following Malaysia’s ratification of the TPP on 28 January 2016, many of the provisions of the intellectual property chapter of the TPP are consistent with the existing intellectual property legislative framework in Malaysia.

The four major legislative implications are as follows:

Continue reading →

How to register your Intellectual Property for FREE!

The Malaysian Lawyer2 Comments

This is the first guest post (which should be the first of many!) by IP legal expert Esther Wee.

IPR funding

Good news! To all those out there who are looking for funding specifically to apply for Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), your prayers and wishes have just come true!

As part of their ongoing efforts to increase IP awareness and registration in Malaysia, the Intellectual Property Corporation Malaysia (MyIPO) has recently set aside some funds to help and encourage the public to register their IPRs. For successful applicants, MyIPO will cover the set of official fees for the registration and as for patents, MyIPO will even cover the fees of the appointed patent agent.

Continue reading →

5 dangerous intellectual property mistakes that might kill your startup

The Malaysian LawyerLeave a comment

This post by Chua Sher Hann is the first-ever guest-post on The Malaysian Lawyer.

image - 5 dangerous intellectual property mistakes that might kill your startup

The last few years saw a proliferation of startups in Malaysia. You can eat your Dah Makan lunchbox, then GrabCar to your KFit class decked in your Ash Be Nimble active wear. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur or the founder of a fresh startup, you must be extremely careful when navigating the intellectual property minefield, and not overlook the importance of securing the intellectual property rights of your business.

Unless you’re someone like Jeffri Cheong of Kaodim (who was an intellectual property lawyer prior to co-founding the services platform which recently raised USD 4 million in its Series A round) and already have a solid understanding and knowledge of intellectual property, please read on.

Here are five common intellectual property mistakes that startup founders make.

Continue reading →